Mechanism for adjusting the height of racks in range ovens



Jan. 5, 1960 c. w. RINALDO ETAL 2,919,691

MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF RACKS IN RANGE OVENS Filed June20, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VE N TORS CARL WALTER R/NALDO. DAV/DG/BBONS SMITH A TTORNEYS Jan. 5, 1960 c. w. RINALDO/ ETAL 2,919,691

MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT 0F RACKS IN RANGE OVENS Filed June20, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS CARL WALTER R/NALDO DAV/D G/BBONSSMITH ATTORNEYS Jan. 5, 1960 c. w. RINALDO EI'AL 2,919,691

MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT 0F RACKS IN RANGE OVENS Filed June20, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS CARL WALTER R/NALDO, DAV/D G/BBONSSMITH er.- yz 5 ATTORNEYS Uite MECHANISM FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OFRACKS IN RANGE OVENS Carl Walter Rinaldo, Toronto, Ontario, and DavidGibbons Smith, Weston, Ontario, Canada, assrgnors to Moifats Limited,Weston, Ontario, Canada, a corporation Application June 2%), 1956,Serial No. 592,547

Claims priority, application Great Britain August 22, 1955 4 Claims.(Cl. l26337) This invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting, from aremote position, the height of a food-supporting frame within an ovencompartment, and relates more particularly to broiler ovens for gas andelectric ranges.

It is known to provide an oven with a mechanism by which afood-supporting frame can be adjusted in height from a remote position,but great difficulty has been experienced. in providing a mechanism forsupporting the frame which is sturdy, reliable, compact and inexpensiveto manufacture. Also, considerable difficulty has been experienced inpreventing fumes within the oven compartment from escaping throughapertures in the oven wall, with consequent deleterious effects on theheat insulation, the apertures being required for the connection of thefood-supporting frame to the adjusting mechanism.

The main object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for adjustinga food-supporting frame within an oven compartment, the mechanism beingof simple construction and therefore inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a mechanism for adjusting the height of afood-supporting frame within an oven compartment in which the mechanismis sturdy and reliable in use and is positioned mainly outside the ovencompartment so as not to be fouled by hot or burnt grease which may bepresent in the compartment.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism foradjusting the height of a food-supporting frame within an ovencompartment, in which apertures in the oven walls, required forpermitting portions of the mechanism to extend-into the ovencompartment, are reduced to a minimum and are effectively sealed tomitigate the possibility of fumes within the oven compartment passingthrough the apertures and fouling the heat insulation with which theoven is usually surrounded.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism foradjusting the height of a food supporting frame within an ovencompartment of a range which is compact and adapted to be positioned ina limited space within an outer shell of the cooking range, and which isadapted to operate easily and quietly throughout the life of the range.

The foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from a study of the following specification, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a domestic range ovenshowing a manually operated mechanism according to the invention,accessories which are usually positioned at the top of the range beingomitted for the sake of clarity;

Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 but showing a poweractuated mechanism according to the invention; v

Patented Jan. ,5, 1960 Figure 3 is a section through a guide hereinafterfully described; and r Figure 4 is a part sectional elevationtaken-od'the line 4-4 of Figure 1, and showing alternative positions ofa crank of the mechanism hereinafter fully described.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, an outer shell of the range is indicatedgenerally at lit the range having anoven compartment defined by opposedvertical walls 11 and 12, a top wall 13, a bottom wall l4, a verticalrear wall 1 5 and a doo'r re by means of which the compartmentcan be,closed. Within the compartment is a food-supporting frame 18 which ismounted on roller tracks 10 for IIIOVB? ment in a horizontal plane toenable it to be partially withdrawn from the compartment, the rollertracks being secured in any convenient manner to the mechanism-of theinvention to be supported thereby.

At each of the vertical side walls 11, 12 is an inverted U-shapedhanger, indicated generally at Ztl, the hanger being provided by twostraps 21, 22 which are interconnected at their upper end. The straps 21each extend into the interior of the compartment through an aperture 23(only the near side ones of which are visiblejin Figures 1 and 2)provided by a tubular guide. g T

As will be seen more clearly from Figure 3, each of the guides is formedby depressing the side wall 11 or 12 at 24 to provide a fiatverticalguiding surface, a shroud 25 then being secured to the inside ofthe compartment as by spot welding and providing the remaining threevertical walls of the guide. The guide is formed to define an aperturehaving a cross-section which is complementary to the cross-section ofthe strap 21 which passes through it, the engagement of thewalls of theguidewith the strap forming a seal to prevent fumes from escaping fromthe compartment. a 1

When the range is in use, any clearance between the strap and the guidebecomes packed with grease and other matter which is precipitated fromfumes in the compart-- ment or splashed onto the strap, to form a veryefficient, seal between the strap and the guide and further prevent thefumes from leaking to the exterior of the compart-; ment where theywould foul the heat insulation material, which usually surrounds suchcompartment. Each of the straps 22 is provided with a guide 26 to wardsits lower end, the hangers thus being guided at two positions (i.e. atthe guides 23 and 26) for vertical move ment with the straps 2i and 22embracing the associated side wall 11 or T12 of the compartment.

Pivotally connected to each hanger is a link 30 which.

at its other end is pivotally connected to a cranked arm end secured toone of the brackets 33, the torque spring acting to counter balance theweight of the frame 18, hangers 20, links 30, and arms 31.

Referring now to Figure 4, it will be seen that the' distance betweenthe top wall of the outer shell 10 andthe plate 34 would confine thelength of travel of the.

hangers to less than the distance between the wall and the plate if astraight arm 31 were used. However, .by providing an aperture 36 in theplate large enough to receive the hanger 20,

armdl to pass through the aperture 36 for the pivotal connection of thelink 3i! to the arm 31 the plate.

It will be seen that when the arms 31 are-in a position in which thehangers are at the top of their travel, the

is mounted on the torque:

34 of an extent the link 30 and the arm 31, and by cranking the arm 31as shown in thedrawings, it can be arranged for the driving end of the;

to lie well below 1 cranked ends of the arms lie with their upper edgeadjacent, and substantially parallel to the underside of the top wall ofthe shell 10.

It will also be seen that by cranking the lever the need for providing avery long aperture 36 in the plate 34, as would be necessary if astraight arm 31 were used and was to perform the equivalent function, isdispensed with, and the plate 34 is not unduly weakened.

Referring now to Figure 1, the torque rod 32 has mounted on it a wormwheel 40 which is meshed by a worm gear 41 mounted on a shaft 42extending to the exterior of the range. The shaft 42 is journalled in anextension of the adjacent bracket 33, and at its extending end isprovided with a manually rotatable knob which, when rotated, drivesthrough the worm and worm wheel to rotate the torque rod and thus movearms for them to raise or lower the hangers and thus adjust the heightof the frame within the compartment. it will be observed that thegearing used is of the non-reversing type, and it will be understoodthat any form of gearing which is inherently non-reversing or providedwith a means to prevent it reversing could be substituted.

By the term non-reversing used herein and in the subjoined claims ismeant the capability of a drive being transmitted from a driving memberof a device to a driven member thereof and the incapability of a drivebeing transmitted from the said driven member to the said drivingmember.

Referring now to Figure 2, an arm 51) is secured to the torque rod 32 toform a radial extension of the rod, and the arm is bifurcated at itsfree end and provided with apertures to receive trunnions of a nut St,the trunnions enabling the nut to be rocked about an axis parallel tothat of the torque rod. Engaged in the threaded bore of the nut is athreaded end of a shaft 52, the shaft being journalled for rotation andagainst axial displacement in a bearing 53 having trunnions which aresupported by the bifurcated end of a bracket 54. A pulley 55 is securedto the shaft 52 and is driven by a belt 56 from a pulley 57 mounted onthe drive shaft of a small reversible electric motor 58, energizing anddirection of rotation of the motor being controlled by a manuallyoperable switch 59 at the front of the range which is connected to themotor through wires 6%. The motor is preferably provided with anyconvenient device to prevent it from being seriously overloaded in theevent that the switch is maintained in one of its operated positions andthe hangers have reached the extremity of their travel. Alternatively,it can be arranged for the belt 56 to slip at a predetermined torque.

When the motor is energized it drives through the belt 56 to rotate theshaft 52 (which, as previously stated, is located against axialdisplacement) and the nut 51 is thus screwed along the shaft anddisplaces the arm angularly about the axis of the torque rod 32, whichin turn moves the arms 31 to raise or lower the hangers and thus adjustthe position of the food-supporting frame within the compartment.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shownand described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, andsuch various changes in shape, size and arrangement of the parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the subjoined claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

I. In a cooking range having a compartment defined by a pair of opposedvertical side walls, a horizontal top wall, a horizontal bottom wall, avertical rear wall, and a front opening opposite the rear wall andclosable by adoor; a substantially vertical U-shaped hanger provided bytwo straps arranged face to face in parallel spaced relationship andmeans rigidly interconnecting the straps at their upper ends, one of thestraps extending for slidable, substantially vertical, movement axiallyof said one strap into and from the interior of the compartment throughan aperture at least partially in the top wall of the compartment, thecross section of said aperture being substantially the same as the crosssection of said one strap to provide a fluid-tight joint, afood-supporting frame within the compartment, frame supporting meansassociated with the said one strap for supporting the frame in asubstantially horizontal attitude within the compartment, said framesupporting means providing the sole support for the frame, the otherstrap and said interconnecting means of the straps being outside thecompartment, the two straps being arranged to embrace one of thevertical walls of the compartment, guide means located exteriorly of thecompartment and associated with the said other strap to guide the hangerfor substantially vertical upward or downward sliding movement axiallyof said one strap, and operator actuable means located exteriorly of thecompartment for moving the hanger in an upward or downward direction andfor maintaining the hanger in a position in which it is moved by saidoperator actuable means.

2. In a cooking range having a compartment defined by a pair of opposedvertical side walls, a horizontal top wall, a horizontal bottom wall, avertical rear Wall, and a front opening opposite the rear wall andclosable by a door; a substantially vertical U-shaped hanger at eachvertical side wall of the compartment, each hanger being provided by twostraps arranged face to face in parallel spaced relationship and meansrigidly interconnecting the straps at their upper ends, one strap ofeach hanger extending for slidable, substantially vertical, movementaxially of said one strap into and from the interior of the compartmentthrough an aperture at least partially in the top wall of thecompartment, the cross section of said aperture being substantially thesame as the cross section of said one strap to provide a fluid-tightjoint, a foodsupporting frame within the compartment, frame supportingmeans associated with said one strap of each hanger for supporting theframe in a substantially horizontal attitude within the compartment,said frame supporting means providing the sole support for the frame,the other strap of each hanger and said interconnecting means of thestraps of each hanger being outside the compartment, the two straps ofeach hanger being arranged to embrace the associated vertical side wall,guide means located exteriorly of the compartment and associated withthe other strap of each hanger to guide the hangers for substantiallyvertical upward or downward sliding movement axially of said one strapand operator actuable means located exterioriy of the compartment formoving the hangers in unison in an upward or downward direction and formaintaining the hangers in a position to which they are moved by saidoperator actuable means.

3. In a cooking range having a compartment defined by a pair of opposedvertical side walls, a horizontal top wall, a horizontal bottom wall, avertical rear wall, and a front opening opposite the rear wall andclosable by a door; a substantially vertical U-shaped hanger provided bytwo straps arranged face to face in parallel spaced relationship andmeans interconnecting the straps at their upper ends, one of the strapsextending into the interior of the compartment through an aperture atleast partially in the top wall of the compartment, shroud meansadjacent said aperture and for coaction with said one strap, said shroudmeans closely surrounding said one strap for the shroud means and thesaid one strap substantially to close the aperture, said shroud meansadditionally providing a guide for said one strap for guiding the hangerfor substantially vertical upward or downward movement, a foodsupporting frame within the compartment, framev supporting meansassociated with said one strap for supporting the frame in asubstantially horizontal attitude within the compartment, said framesupporting means providing the sole support for the frame, the otherstrap and the interconnecting means of the straps being outside thecompartment, the two straps being arranged to embrace one of thevertical side walls of the compartment, guide means located exteriorlyof the compartment and associated with the said other strap, said guidemeans in conjunction with said shroud means guiding the hanger forsubstantially vertical upward or downward movement,

and operator actuable means located exteriorly of the compartment formoving the hanger in an upward or downward direction and for maintainingthe hanger in a position to which it is moved by said operator actuablemeans.

4. In a cooking range having a substantially horizontal top wall, asubstantially horizontal structural wall arranged beneath said top wall,and an oven compartment arranged beneath said structural wall anddefined by a pair of opposed vertical side walls, a horizontal top wall,a horizontal bottom wall, a vertical rear wall, and a front openingopposite the rear wall and closable by a door; a substantially verticalU-shaped hanger at each vertical side wall of the compartment, eachhanger being provided by two straps arranged face to face in parallelspaced re lationship and means interconnecting the straps at their upperends, one strap of each hanger extending into the interior of thecompartment through an aperture at least partially in the top wall ofthe compartment, a foodsupporting frame within the compartment, framesupporting means associated with said one strap of each hanger forsupporting the frame in a substantially horizontal attitude within thecompartment, said frame supporting means providing the sole support forthe frame, the other strap of each hanger and said interconnecting meansof the straps of each hanger being outside the compartment, the twostraps of each hanger being arranged for them to embrace the associatedvertical side wall, guide means located exteriorly of the compartmentand associated with the other strap of each hanger to guide the hangersfor substantially vertical upward or downward movement beneath said topwall of the range, the structural wall of the range having aperturespermitting unrestricted movement of the hangers through said structuralwall and towards said top wall, and operator actuated means for movingthe hangers upwardly or downwardly in unison, said operator actuatedmeans including a rod located above the structural wall with itslongitudinal axis extending transversely of said hangers, journalledbearings for the rod, a cranked arm associated with each hanger andrigidly secured at one of its ends to the rod, a link associated witheach cranked arm and pivotally connected at one of its ends to the saidother end of the associated cranked arm, the link being pivotallyconnected at its other end to the said other strap of the associatedhanger, the said apertures in the structural wall being of an extentpermitting the unrestricted movement of said other ends of said crankedarms and said links through said apertures, and operator actuated drivemeans for rotating said rod about its longitudinal axis and forpreventing rotation of said rod about its axis by a load applied to thesaid other ends of said cranked arm.

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